The Home of Beer

Although it might seem a bit cliché to point out that the drinking age in Europe is lower than the United States, here in the Czech Republic, one type of alcohol is actually very important to their culture. Beer has been brewed all over the Czech Republic long before they started brewing their most famous beer, Pilsner Urquell, which was introduced in 1842. The first brewery is known to have existed in 993 in Břevnov Monastery. The Czech people themselves are very proud of the brewery’s here, so it’s good to have some insight on something they think so highly of. Along with some history of the beers, I’ll also give some information on how the beer tastes as well as how much it usually costs. When you visit the Czech Republic, something that may shock you is that water is not free at restaurants. Another thing that shocked me, but I was perfectly alright with, was that for the most part beer is cheaper than water. So if anyone gives you grief about drinking a lot of beer while abroad, say you were just having a little taste of the Czech culture and also that you were attempting to save some money.

Pilsner Urquell: As I stated before, this is the Czech Republic’s most well known beer. How this beer started is actually quite interesting. The Czech people were so dissatisfied by the quality and taste of their beer in the late 1830’s, they actually started to dump out barrels of it to show their disgust. To fix this problem, the Pilsen brewery hired the Bavarian brewer Josef Groll. Using paler malts and new techniques, the first batch of the pilsner that is available today was presented in 1842. Pilsner Urquell is a pale lager, meaning it has a golden color with a little bitterness due to the hops. My personal opinion of Pilsner is that it is good every once in a while, mainly because much like other pale lagers, it does seem to be a tad bitter, although not at all bad tasting. Along with that, Pilsner is more expensive than most beers, which just adds to the fact that it is a beer to get every once in a while.

Budweiser Budvar: This beer has a little more importance to all of us because we got to take a tour of the brewery itself, as well as sample some of their freshly brewed Budweiser Budvar Czech Premium Lager. They began brewing Budweiser Budvar in 1785, although brewing in the city of České Budějovice, the city in which the Budvar brewery is located, began as early as the 13^th century. Budweiser Budvar Czech Premium Lager, the most generic brand of beer they offer, is also a pale lager. This beer is not as bitter as Pilsner Urquell and tends to be a little less expensive. Not my favorite, however, very easy to enjoy a few of these throughout the week.

Velkopopovický Kozel: Kozel, as it is normally referred to as, means goat in Czech, which makes sense considering the logo for this beer is a goat. This beer got its start in 1875 and due to a change in owners, much like Pilsner Urquell, Kozel developed new technologies which led to its rise today. Kozel offers both light and dark beers, both of which are very good. Having a Kozel Černý, which is the dark beer Kozel offers, is a great option to have especially after drinking pale lagers for a while. Relatively cheap, Kozel is one of my favorites to drink.

Gambrinus: Although Gambrinus is much higher in quality, before coming here I heard that this beer was the Natty Light of beers in the Czech Republic. The company was founded in 1869 and is named after Gambrinus, who was a legendary king of Flanders famous for his mythical brewing capabilities. I think the main reason it is compared to Natty Light is the fact that it tends to be one of the cheapest beer offered. Gambrinus is very smooth and easy to drink; plus as I said before, very cheap. Along with Kozel, this is one of my favorite beers.

Staropramen: This beer began brewing in 1869 and today the Staropramen Brewery is the second largest in the Czech Republic behind only the Plzeňský Prazdroj Group, which brews Pilsner Urquell, Gambrinus, and Kozel; nothing to scoff considering how popular those beers are. Staropramen is a premium beer lager that is very smooth, and much like Gambrinus, is very cheap. After Kozel, I would say this is my favorite beer to drink mainly because it tends to taste a little better than Gambrinus, but is still available for the same price.